Fist of the Condor
Marko Zaror martial arts flick works better technically than it does thematically.
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Chilean martial artist/actor Marko Zaror has been on my radar for a hot minute. He played the heavy who fought Scott Adkins’ Yuri Boyka in “Undisputed 3: Redemption,” was a series of cloned lackeys all named Zaror in Robert Rodriguez’s “Machete Kills,” squared off against Adkins yet again in “Savage Dog,” reteamed with Rodriguez for “Alita: Battle Angel” and had the biggest break of his career thus far earlier this year by essaying the role of Chidi in “John Wick: Chapter 4” (he was the dude whose face got pissed on by a dog).
Zaror’s latest effort “Fist of the Condor” (now available on the Hi-YAH! streaming service, VOD, Blu-ray and DVD) is the most recent collaboration between he and writer/director/editor Ernesto Díaz Espinoza. “FotC” marks the fifth partnership between the men after 2006’s “Kiltro,” 2007’s “Mirageman,” 2009’s “Mandrill” and 2014’s “Redeemer” with a sixth on the way (the upcoming “Diablo” co-starring Adkins).
Zaror stars as twin brothers Guerrero and Gemelo. Both men long to train with Mujer Cóndor (Gina Aguad), but she can only take one on as a pupil. Guerrero forsakes his wife Marla (Fernanda Urrejola) and daughter (played at different ages by Javiera Ureta and Eva Luna Soto) in order to study with Cóndor while Gemelo watches from afar mimicking the teachings.
Tragedy strikes when Gemelo decides to steal Cóndor’s sacred fighting manual. In the process he beats his brother within an inch of his life and urinates on his face. (Again?!!! Is R. Kelly ghostwriting Zaror’s recent output?) Circumstances dictate that Guerrero find a new master in the form of Wook (Man Soo Yoon) meanwhile Gemelo fosters his own protégé, the guyliner-wearing Kalari (Eyal Meyer).
“FotC” is broken into chapters and often grasps for profundity, which it never quite achieves. It feels like Alejandro Jodorowsky trippily riffing on the training segments of Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill: Volume 2” replete with references to David Carradine’s “Kung Fu” (both the 1970s and 1990s iterations) and Lorenzo Lamas’ cheesetacular “Renegade.”
It works better technically (I dug Rocco’s music, Aural’s sound design, Nicolás Ibieta and Benjamín Luna Vaccarezza’s cinematography and especially Wernher Schurmann’s stunt coordination and Zaror’s fight choreography) than it does thematically. I often confused one brother for another, but this might’ve been intentional on the filmmakers’ behalf. Characters’ motivations are also often murky. Guerrero and Gemelo never have a final fight. I’m uncertain if this is Díaz Espinoza tipping his cap to the Coen brothers’ “No Country for Old Men” or more likely opening things up for a follow-up.
So far as movies where a martial artist plays twins goes “FotC” ain’t up to snuff with Jean-Claude Van Damme’s “Double Impact,” but I’d be open to a sequel should one come to pass. More Zaror is generally a good thing IMHO … even if “Diablo” sounds more appealing than “FotC2.”